At 16, Cassie's world revolves around two things; boys and parties. Her life is a non-stop cycle of mini dresses, too-loud music and hangovers. Despite being conscious of how superficial and reckless her whole existence may appear, Cassie's never cared enough to change it. She's enjoying herself, and hurting no one (minus her boy-of-the-week, but it's not like they care much either) in the process.
However, when her best friend, Effie, is declared missing then found dead in the woods, with Cassie's fingerprints all over her body, she finds herself thrust into a whirlwind of accusations, long-forgotten memories and mysterious new neighbors who may be more involved than she originally thought.
Cassie has no recollection of the night preceding Effie's death, but, convinced of her own innocence and hell-bent on avenging her best friend, she sets out to find the actual murderer still at large- unaware they might be hiding behind the most inconspicuous of faces, perhaps even her own.
Adele knows she witnessed a murder - what she doesn't know is just how personal it is.
*****
A girl was brutally murdered in the basement of a sorority house in spring 2011. Adele Theroux thinks she saw the killer - and the killer definitely saw her. What she doesn't know is why this all happened and who this guy is. As she tries to solve the mystery from a distance while in witness protection, the connections keep getting weirder and more personal. Might she be able to relate to the killer in a way that no one else can? And what does that mean about her own psyche?
*2019 Watty Award for Mystery/Thriller*
[[word count: 50,000-60,000 words]]
Cover designed by April Alforque